Written Answers Tuesday 24 August 2010

Scottish Executive

Bees

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the position is regarding the monitoring of the (a) European and (b) American foulbrood outbreak in the bee population in Scotland.

Richard Lochhead: The monitoring of European foulbrood (EFB) consists of a European Foulbrood 2010 Control Plan, which was drawn up and agreed with beekeeping stakeholders. All apiaries where EFB was confirmed in 2009 were re-inspected and any cases were removed to quarantine apiaries where they were treated using the Shook Swarm method. Re-inspections are currently taking place in the quarantine apiaries.

  The monitoring of American foulbrood (AFB) consists of re-visiting all beekeepers whose bees were diagnosed as having AFB in 2009 and responding to beekeepers concerns. Any cases of AFB are destroyed.

Bees

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any new outbreaks of (a) European and (b) American foulbrood disease have been found in Scotland since the start of 2010 and, if so, in what areas.

Richard Lochhead: Ten colonies in five apiaries were found positive with European foulbrood (EFB) in West Lothian in July 2010.

  Two colonies from one apiary were found positive with American foulbrood (AFB) in February and April 2010 in the Stranraer area and two colonies from two apiaries were found positive in July 2010 in West Lothian.

  Additional cases of EFB and AFB were confirmed, however, these were in areas where the diseases had previously been confirmed in 2009.

Bees

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the National Standing Committee on Farm Animal Genetic Resources now has responsibility for the ongoing welfare of bees and, if so, when this change took place.

Richard Lochhead: Representatives of the National Standing Committee (NSC) on Farm Animal Genetic Resources (FAnGR) responded to a request from the Scottish Government for advice on conservation of honeybees, in line with their role.

  Policy responsibility for honey bee health in Scotland rests with the Scottish Government.

Birds

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what areas of Scotland have been or are to be assessed under the goose policy review being undertaken by a consortium led by the British Trust for Ornithology Scotland.

Richard Lochhead: The review is intended to make recommendations on the national goose policy framework. Therefore, the British Trust for Ornithology Scotland will assess the suitability of the goose policy framework across the whole of Scotland.

Cancer

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of patient access to ultra-orphan treatments for rare forms of cancer.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHS boards in Scotland are responsible for the planning and provision of NHS services in accordance with national and local priorities and in line with the health needs of the population. Decisions regarding the care of individual patients are a matter of professional judgement for the clinician responsible for the patient’s care.

  The arrangements in place for assessing new drugs and treatments for use in the NHS are through bodies such as the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) and NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS). Further information about these processes can be obtained from their websites www.scottishmedicines.org.uk and www.nhshealthquality.org.

  The process for accessing orphan medicines as defined by the European Medicines Agency as a medicine licensed to treat or prevent life-threatening rare diseases affecting fewer than five in 10,000 people in the European Union, is the same as it is for all medicines. However, in addition to the usual assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness, SMC may consider additional factors such as whether the medicine substantially increases life expectancy and/or quality of life; can reverse, rather than stabilise the condition; or bridges a gap to definitive therapy. The list of SMC modifiers has been published on the SMC website.

  Where a medicine has been recommended by the SMC, it is expected that NHS Boards will make it or its equivalent available on an equitable basis within NHSScotland.

  Comprehensive guidance for NHS boards in the form of CEL 17 (2010) on the introduction and availability of new medicines in the NHS in Scotland was published on 17 May 2010. A link to the guidance is attached http://www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/mels/CEL2010_17.pdf.

Cancer

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average life expectancy is for a child in Scotland undergoing conventional treatments for osteosarcoma.

Shona Robison: It is not possible to generate an estimate of life expectancy for children undergoing conventional treatments for osteosarcoma in Scotland. A measurable indicator of outcome is the percentage of children diagnosed with osteosarcoma who remain alive 10 years after their original diagnosis (10-year survival). For children aged 0-14 years, diagnosed with osteosarcoma while resident in Scotland during 1998-2002 (14 cases), 50% of them survived to at least 10 years after diagnosis.

Enviornment

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the World Health Organization’s Night Noise Guidelines for Europe to come into effect.

Richard Lochhead: The   WHO  Night Noise Guidelines for Europe were published in 2009. They build on the earlier 1999 WHO Guidelines for community noise and aim to provide scientific advice to the member states for the development of future legislation and policy action in the assessment and control of night noise exposure.

  The guidelines support the European Union Directive 2002/49/EC relating to the assessment and management of environmental noise (known as the END Directive). One of the obligations of the END is for member states to produce noise maps and data about night exposure from mid-2007. The Scottish Government has, in implementing the END, met all its obligations on time, including publishing Noise Action Plans which seek to manage noise on a prioritised basis.

Enviornment

Jim Hume (South of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking in conjunction with public agencies and the retail sector to reduce and prevent unnecessary packaging of goods.

Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government works closely with the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) to implement producer responsibility regulations in line with EC Directives on Packaging and Packaging Waste. The producer responsibility regulations obligate producers and suppliers who have a market share of more than £2 million and produce more than 50 tons of waste a year to pay towards recycling the waste they produce. By placing this obligation on producers the regulations provide an economic incentive to reduce and prevent unnecessary packaging waste. More details can be found on SEPA’s website:

  http://www.sepa.org.uk/waste/waste_regulation/producer_responsibility.aspx.

  The Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) delivery programme, created to support Scotland’s Zero Waste Plan, provides advice and support to all stakeholders involved in achieving a zero waste society. ZWS works with public agencies on the issue of reducing packaging of goods and supports the UK-wide Courtauld Commitment. Administered by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the Courtauld Commitment is a voluntary agreement aimed at improving resource efficiency and reducing the carbon and wider environmental impact of the grocery retail sector.

  The Courtauld Commitment (Phase 1) was launched in 2005 and had 42 signatories representing many key retailers and suppliers. This phase achieved the target of zero growth in packaging by 2008. Courtauld 2 was launched in March 2010 and moves away from solely weight-based targets, aiming to achieve more sustainable use of resources over the entire lifecycle of products, including their packaging. 29 major retailers and brand owners committed to Phase 2. Discussions about the shape of Phase 3 have commenced.

  Further details on the Courtauld Commitment can be found here:

  http://www.wrap.org.uk/retail/courtauld_commitment/index.html.

First Minister

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-34781 by Shona Robison on 16 July 2010, what request has been made regarding transport for the First Minister while in Delhi for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

Shona Robison: None.

Fisheries

Liam McArthur (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, when assessing fish stocks and preparing advice for future stock management, the Fisheries Research Services Marine Laboratory takes into account the Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership’s research, which shows that climate change is causing the distribution of some fish species to move north, which suggests that all stock reductions cannot be attributed to fishing effort alone.

Richard Lochhead: Marine Scotland Science (formerly Fisheries Research Services) is fully aware of the work of the Marine Climate Change Impact Partnership (MCCIP) research and contributes to this research. Stock assessment methodologies are designed to be robust and can accommodate small changes in fish stock distributions. The impacts of climate change are considered when advice is formulated.

Fisheries

Liam McArthur (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, given the Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership’s research, which shows that climate change is causing the distribution of some fish species to move north and which may make the collection of thorough comparative fish stock data more difficult, whether the Fisheries Research Services Marine Laboratory will increase its use of data collected by fishing boats so that it makes use of all available fish stock data.

Richard Lochhead: Marine Scotland Science (formerly Fisheries Research Services) is fully aware of the work of the Marine Climate Change Impact Partnership (MCCIP) research and contributes to this research. Stock assessment methodologies, including survey design and sampling strategies, are designed to be robust and can accommodate small changes in fish stock distributions. However, Marine Scotland Science continues to work with the fishing industry to collect relevant accurate data on the health and status of Scottish fish stocks.

Fisheries

Liam McArthur (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it ensures that the European Commission (EC) is kept fully aware of the results of the Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership’s research, which shows that climate change is causing the distribution of some fish species to move north, so that, when the EC makes recommendations for fish quotas, quotas in the northern parts of a fish species’ distribution are not cut because of climate change-induced reductions in its southern parts.

Richard Lochhead: The Marine Climate Change Impact Partnership (MCCIP) is responsible for the publication and dissemination of its results. Marine Scotland Science scientists highlight these results at meetings of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and of the European Commission’s Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) when appropriate.

Health

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had discussions with the UK Government regarding the provision of financial support to people affected by contaminated blood and blood products.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues including the provision of financial support to people affected by contaminated blood and blood products.

  In late March 2010, I agreed with plans of the then UK Government, to bring forward a review of the UK Skipton Fund which had originally been scheduled for 2014. The Fund was set up in 2004 to make ex gratia payments to those similarly infected with hepatitis C. I understand that the new Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Public Health at the Department of Health, Anne Milton, MP, is currently considering this matter. The Scottish Government will play a part of any review of the Skipton Fund.

  I will ensure that any such work will sit alongside that of the current Penrose Public Inquiry which is looking into the circumstances of hepatitis C/HIV acquired infection from NHS treatment in Scotland with blood and blood products.

Health

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to promote intermediate models of care, such as at the Mid Argyll Community Hospital and Integrated Care Centre, in rural areas.

Shona Robison: The Joint Improvement Team has funded five demonstrator sites to identify the contribution of intermediate care to a managed shift in the balance of care in order to achieve the outcome of increased independence at home.

  We are currently engaging with stakeholders to draft a national framework for intermediate care services in Scotland. As well as building on the emerging evidence from the demonstrator sites, the framework will incorporate examples of good practice, including those from rural and remote areas. The framework will be published early next year.

Health

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to include intermediate care in the General Medical Services curriculum.

Shona Robison: The content, standards and competencies required within the GP training curriculum are specified by the General Medical Council, in consultation with the Royal College and educational providers. It is a competency-based curriculum which, over several years, is designed to ensure a GP gains a diverse range of experiences and specialist knowledge in practice settings in order to practice effectively and safely.

  While "intermediate care" is not a specific element within the GP curriculum, its many facets are covered within some of the core and essential skills a GP will need to demonstrate in order to satisfy the standards and behaviours prescribed by the GMC.

Health

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what health services can be expected to be delivered from intermediate care centres.

Shona Robison: Intermediate care is a range of enabling rehabilitative and treatment services delivered through an integrated approach in community settings to shift the balance of care from hospital to the community. It will include a wide range of services that help prevent avoidable acute hospital admissions and facilitate early discharge. The actual services provided will be a matter for local decision making and be based on local needs.

Livestock

John Scott (Ayr) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimates it has made of the additional cost to Scottish sheep farmers of electronic tagging of slaughter lambs compared with the cost in England and Wales.

Richard Lochhead: It is extremely difficult to make any direct comparison between the cost in Scotland and the cost in England and Wales due to different ways in which EID has been implemented by the different administrations.

  A full Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) was prepared by the Scottish Government as part of the public consultation and regulatory process that introduced the Sheep and Goat (Records, Identification and Movements) (Scotland) Order 2009 (the sheep EID Regulations). Full cost estimates of all implementation options for Scotland, including those associated with the slaughter derogation, are provided within the RIA.

  The decision to electronically identify slaughter animals in Scotland was made in agreement with the majority of Scottish stakeholders as it provided a simple and efficient system for Scotland that maintained traditional market patterns. To assist with this decision I committed a further £1 million to the £3 million EID research pilot which all sheep farmers in Scotland can join as a partner farm and receive £0.40 per animal which can assist with the cost of electronic tags. This research pilot is unique within the UK.

Smoking

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will report on the outcome and process measures of the Enhanced Tobacco Sales Enforcement Programme.

Shona Robison: The Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS) is expected to publish a report on the progress made under the Enhanced Tobacco Sales Enforcement Programme within the next couple of months. We will inform you when the report is available.

Smoking

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have reached the agreed minimum target of carrying out test purchasing exercises in 10% of tobacco retailers in their area per annum.

Shona Robison: I am pleased to report that good progress is being made, with 20 authorities having reached the agreed target in 2009-10, namely Aberdeen City, Angus, Argyll & Bute, Scottish Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, City of Edinburgh, Fife, Glasgow, Moray, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, Shetland, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire and West Lothian. In 2009-10, test purchasing visits were carried out in 10.9% of tobacco retail premises, exceeding the national target of 10%.

Smoking

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have reached the agreed minimum target of carrying out visits providing advice and support to 20% of tobacco retailers in their area per annum.

Shona Robison: I am pleased to report that good progress is being made, with 19 authorities having reached the agreed target in 2009-10, namely Aberdeenshire, Angus, Scottish Borders, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, East Dunbartonshire, Falkirk, Fife, Midlothian, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Orkney, Renfrewshire, Shetland, South Ayrshire, Stirling, West Dunbartonshire, Western Isles and west Lothian. In 2009-10, visits to provide advice and support were made to 25.1% of tobacco retailers, exceeding the national target of 20%.

Waste Management

Jim Hume (South of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has given to local authorities on how to achieve the waste reduction and recycling targets outlined in the Zero Waste Plan.

Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government has established the Zero Waste Scotland delivery programme to support the implementation of Scotland’s Zero Waste Plan. The delivery programme provides advice and guidance to all stakeholders involved in achieving a zero waste society, including local authorities.

Waste Management

Jim Hume (South of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has given to local authority planning departments on the measures available to deal with the processing of waste in the context of the Zero Waste Plan.

Richard Lochhead: Scottish Government published its Zero Waste Plan on the 9 June 2010. Annex B of the plan sets out guidance for local authority planning departments on the role of the land-use planning system in delivering waste management facilities. Scottish Government planning officials are working closely with all planning authorities in the preparation of their development plans including matters in relation to waste management. A wide range of stakeholders including planning authorities and Convention of Scottish Local Authorities have been engaged in the current review of Planning Advice Note 63 – Waste Management Planning.

  In addition, Scottish Government will shortly be giving further guidance to local authorities on the use of energy from waste treatment. Zero Waste Scotland and Scottish Futures Trust also provide local authorities with advice and support on procurement and achieving value for money in relation to waste management infrastructure.